We’ve all heard the expression, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Some of you may have said it at one point in your life. Disclaimers on TV shows may warn, “Do not try this at home.” But really, doesn’t that seem almost like a dare to try it. The forbidden thing that the adult is doing right before the impressionable child seems so tempting. We expect others to practice what they preach and we should do the same.
In the NICU where my practice is set, a weekly clinical conference was established where all leaders were invited to attend. Equating “leader” with “manager” I did not attend the meetings initially. Only after realizing that I was missing critical information regarding patients, medication errors that had occurred in the unit, and various other issues, did I attend my first meeting. I am a regular at the meeting now. In the years since that conference was first established I have learned that you do not have to be in an administrative position to be a leader. Quite the opposite actually. We are all leaders in our own way. We may be leaders in our respective specialty areas, leaders of residents and students, leaders to technicians, and the list goes on.
As leaders in our profession, we should lead by example. If we expect our students and residents to be on time, then we should be on time. The way that we conduct ourselves from our telephone manners and interactions on rounds, to the discussions we have about other people, should be done in such a way as to expect it to be mirrored. Never should we presume to demonstrate this behavior and anticipate our learners or coworkers to behave in a different way. I have seen leaders promote an idea for a new process, then not follow through in doing the process themselves. That is a sure way to have something fail. Buy in from those who follow starts with leadership by example.
ASHP outlines the preceptor’s role as Direct Instruction, Modeling, Coaching, and Facilitating. Whether you are a resident’s preceptor or not, if you are a pharmacist in a department with a residency program, then you are modeling professional behavior every time you interact with a resident. Although aware of this tenet, I do sometimes find myself doing things that I don’t want others to copy- whether that person is my 10 year old daughter or the resident who just started my rotation. When this happens, I try to address the issue by examining what I am doing and how I can correct my own behavior. I find this self-evaluation very helpful. I would encourage everyone to do this on occasion for the sake of their own professional development.
The Golden Rule says to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Perhaps the Golden Rule for leaders could be to “model behavior before others how you would have them behave.”
#Leadership #ClinicalSpecialistsandScientists #Precepting